Birds of the West Indies by James Bond 1980 Fourth Edition Hardcover Caribbean Bird Field Guide with Dust Jacket

Birds of the West Indies by James Bond is a 1980 Fourth American Edition hardcover field guide published by Houghton Mifflin Company, with its original bright green illustrated dust jacket.

This copy has clean, readable pages and colorful bird illustrations, while the dust jacket shows rubbing, small scuffs, creases, and surface wear along the edges and corners, as shown in the photos.

Covering more than 400 bird species found throughout the Caribbean and the Bahamas, this illustrated bird identification guide includes descriptions of their appearance, habitats, and geographic ranges. The compact hardcover format makes it a useful reference to carry while birdwatching or exploring the islands.

Details

• Item: Vintage illustrated bird identification field guide
• Title: Birds of the West Indies
• Author: James Bond
• Illustrator: Don R. Eckelberry and Arthur B. Singer (color illustrations); Earl L. Poole (line drawings)
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston
• Publication Year: 1980
• Edition and Printing: Fourth American Edition, 1980. Printed in Great Britain. Printing number: Not confirmed from photos.
• Format and Binding: Hardcover with green cloth binding and black bird silhouette on the front board
• Dust Jacket: Original bright green illustrated dust jacket present, with front and back flaps
• Pages: 256
• Genre: Nonfiction, Ornithology, Birdwatching, Natural History, Field Guide
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0395074312
• Dimensions: 8 inches tall x 5.25 inches wide x 1 inch thick

Condition Grade: Good

Positives

• Graded Good: A complete, usable vintage hardcover with clean, readable interior pages and an original dust jacket showing visible wear. The condition is well suited to someone who wants to use the book as a field reference rather than keep it as an untouched display copy.
• The green cloth hardcover is clean and retains its original black bird silhouette on the front board.
• The original illustrated dust jacket remains present, including the front and back flaps with descriptive text about the book and its author.
• Interior pages are clean, easy to read, and free of noticeable writing or markings in the photographed sections.
• The book includes 94 color illustrations and 186 black and white line drawings for identifying Caribbean bird species.
• The illustrated plates retain their color, including the photographed plate of quail doves.
• The black and white bird drawings remain clear, including illustrations of Wilson's Petrel, the Red-billed Tropicbird, and several wood warbler species.
• The guide contains detailed descriptions of bird identification features, habitats, geographic ranges, and local names.
• A foldout geographic map illustrates the West Indies and surrounding regions.
• The compact hardcover measures 8 by 5.25 inches, a practical size for carrying in a birdwatching bag.
• The pages open for reading, and the photographed sections remain attached to the binding.

Issues / Wear

• The bright green dust jacket has visible rubbing and surface scuffs, especially along the edges and corners.
• The dust jacket shows small creases and areas of white paper exposure where the printed green surface has worn away.
• The upper jacket corners and spine ends show surface rubbing and edge wear.
• The rear dust jacket has light surface scratches, edge creasing, and corner wear.
• The hardcover corners show light rubbing where the dust jacket does not fully cover the boards.
• The interior paper has a light cream tone consistent with the photographed pages.
• The original $14.95 price remains printed on the front dust jacket flap.

With its 1980 publication date, original illustrated jacket, and detailed Caribbean bird drawings, this is a useful older field guide for a birder who enjoys keeping printed references close at hand. If it's the right copy for you, it's ready to come home.